Ramos -- How many spiders?

[Grifonetto]

So, I recently bought alt Ramos and a Steampunk Arachnid Swarm, and then I bought Avatar Ramos and discovered that it came with even more steampunk arachnids. I'm trying to decide between basing them as three individuals and one swarm, or doing some kind of really ambitious project where I mount them all on bases that can somehow join together to become a swarm base.

So, having never used him before, my question to Ramos players is -- do I actually *need* six individual steampunk arachnids? How many do you usually have in play? What's the most you've *ever* had in play?

[Android089]

I'm still pretty new with Ramos, but I end up using all of the individual bases. I bought the box set for Ramos and I've actually had to make paper cut outs until I can get more of the actual Steampunk Arachnids.

In a regular game I end up with 1 Swarm of them and at least 6 individual ones (Because I cant resist spawning more in every turn)

Hope this helps.

[Requirement]

Plenty of people have used parts of bases with magnets to get the most bang for your buck. You have to think that at some point you will likely have 3 SPA and 1 Swarm or 2 Swarms and you want to create another SPA... I'd pick up another pack or two and get ambitious... do the magnets thing.

http://malifaux.nezumi.me.uk/Ramos.php

If Ratty can do it, anyone can aspire to at least try.

[loserwithaplan]

I have 8 single spiders, and 3 swarms. But if you use magnets I think 2 swarms worth will do it.

[Grifonetto]

Thanks for the input, everyone -- guess I'll go for the ambitious plan!

[Bruglyother]

I have 7 spiders finished, and I use all 7 fairly often. I am one of those ambitious types who magnetized. I have 3 more to do, and I am likely to use them at some point as well.

[CrouchingMoose]

I also magnetized but i have 2 swarm to individual spiders plus 3 non magnetized spiders...i dont think ive ever used them all, but ill also break the swarms down as i need to, so i can have 2 swarms and individual spiders

[CRC]

I would say that you need two swarms. You also need six singles for when they split. I have 9 magnetized, and I rarely come close to that.

As you add other things to your Arcanists, you'll feel less need for spiders, which will help somewhat.

[TimeLapse]

I have 9 of the small ones and 3 swarms i bought them before the avatar came out. In lists without the avatar i use around 6-8 small spiders and two-three swarms This is due to me stoking and pumping out as meny spiders i can a turn. I add 3-5 spiders to my starting list brass totem and rusty aylce for help getting the high tome.

With the avatar i use only 3-4 small and one swarm. Since you avatar out on turn 2 if you use the toolkit your spider load out is smaller in each game. Though having 2 large SPAs in an avatar list is a must.

In a brawl i use one, the one i summon the first turn, my brawl partner is Hoffman with 2 peacekeepers. I attach the toolkit to Hoffman so that when Ramos avatars out i can still give him a tome. I fill the rest of the list then with guild constructs.

So for me it depends on what you are playing

Edited April 14, 2012 by TimeLapse

[Sholto]

I just ordered a pack of 10 "cyber beetles" from Puppets War - going for Necron-style Spiders for my Ramos crew.

[Dezzo]

6 small and 2 large as a "base" crew.

stuff like totems and support crew (soul stone miner for example) do make themselves into my crew from time to time.

[fritz the cat]

personally, thus far, ive made due with 4 single spiders and a swarm. After the first game I played where my swarm managed to paralyze Von Schill 2 turns in a row theyve become a priority target in my games.

Idealy I wanna get up to 6/2 though, that seems like the optomistic max I'd need.

[Vanilla_Dice]

I've got 9, all magnetized so I can swap em round how I want them... But only 6 are painted.

As a quick aside question, relatively new Ramos player, can I make 2 spiders in a turn thanks to casting expert? (not sure as its a 0 action). Oh and can you summon 2 electrical creations?

[fritz the cat]

no. unfortunately, you'll only be able to make one. Even if he had instinctual (another 0 action) as you cant double up on the same 0.

The only way I can think offhand that you'd be able to make more than one is if you gave him reactivate either through brass arachnid or rusty alice

[Forar]

I bought the Ramos box set and then snagged a blister of the alt-sculpt SPA's, then magnetized all 9 with some cheap rare earth magnets I got off ebay (100 for ~$2.50, free S&H). A little glue and 27 magnets later, and I can now create 9 individual SPA's, 3 Swarms, or anything in between.

My suggestion if you follow this route is thus; make sure you have all of the magnets on the bases oriented the same direction, and the ones of the spiders oriented in the opposite one. That way any spider can connect to any base point, and vice versa.

Personally, I started with the bases, and made sure all 9 30mm's were set up correctly, then I moved onto the spiders (the Ramos box ones are a bit of a pain to glue due to coming in 3 pieces, the alt sculpt ones come as a single piece and as such are a dream in comparison) and finally the larger bases, using the spiders to position the magnets before applying glue.

Hit up ebay and honestly I think magnetized spiders are totally the way to go.